Seeking Common Ground

In their pre-election statement "Faithful
Citizenship," the U.S. Catholic bishops wrote,
"Politics in this election year and beyond should be about
an old idea with a new power - the common good. The central
question...should be How can we - all of us, especially the
weak and vulnerable - be better off in the years ahead? How can
we protect and promote human life and dignity? How can we pursue
greater justice and peace?"

A dialogue among Christians on those questions may be more
important now than talking to policymakers.

Perhaps people in the red and blue states are closer on some
issues than we are led by the media to believe. In the days
following Nov. 2, the "moral values voter" became the
defining story line of the election (as Jim Wallis discusses in
this months Hearts & Minds,)
National exit polls showed that when asked to choose "the
most important issue" that influenced their vote, 22 percent
chose "moral values." Media pundits declared that the
"moral values" meant gay marriage and abortion, and
that the Religious Right had won the election.

No doubt those issues played an important role. Yet, if the
specific issues in the exit poll are grouped together,
"war/peace values" led with 34 percent and
"economic values" received 33 percent. A post-election
poll conducted by Zogby International confirmed that when a list
of specific issues was asked, the results were quite different.
When asked which "moral issue most influenced your
vote," 42 percent chose war in Iraq, while 13 percent said
abortion and 9 percent same-sex marriage. When asked to name the
"most urgent moral problem in American culture," 33
percent selected "greed and materialism," 31 percent
chose "poverty and economic justice," 16 percent picked
abortion, and 12 percent named same-sex marriage. The
"greatest threat to marriage" was identified as
"infidelity" by 31 percent, "rising financial
burdens" by 25 percent, and "same-sex marriage" by
22 percent.

When 42 percent of us see the war in Iraq as a moral issue,
how do we address the policy of an administration apparently
still committed to going it alone without international support,
bombing civilian urban neighborhoods in an effort to quell the
insurgency, and still not seriously addressing the torture and
abuse of prisoners? Christian peacemakers concerned with the
common good must continue to insist on protecting human life and
pursuing peace.

When a third of us see "greed and materialism" as
the most urgent moral issue, how will we respond to renewed
efforts to pass tax cuts for the wealthy, to privatize Social
Security, and to end the decades-long progressive tax system? A
common good tax policy should pursue greater justice, not greater
wealth.

Similarly, when 31 percent identify "poverty and economic
justice" as among the most critical moral issues, can we
agree to work for a living family income, as Call to
Renewals "Isaiah Platform" puts it, so
"people who work should not be poor"?

WHILE THERE WILL continue to be fundamental disagreements
about abortion, we can agree that it is a moral issue and seek
common ground in a program that would reduce the number of
abortions - including pre- and post-natal healthcare, nutrition,
adoption reform, reducing teen pregnancy, sex education
emphasizing abstinence, and responsible fatherhood.

Strong, healthy families are important in bringing up
children, and the greatest threats to raising children include
the twin big businesses of entertainment and advertising. We can
find common ground as Christians in addressing the cheapening of
our culture and in efforts to strengthen marriage and family
life.

In all these issue areas, we can agree that community - the
common good - is one of the ultimate moral values. We should
speak and act on these issues as Christians, grounding our
political work in our biblical faith. I work to overcome poverty
and oppose the war in Iraq because I am a follower of Jesus, not
only because it is better public policy. For progressive
Christians, talking to other Christians across the lines of
"red" and "blue" is a way of seeking
"the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(Ephesians 6:3).

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